British Industrialist Demands Trade Boycott of Germany

The demand that all democratic countries boycott German trade is made in a letter to The Times by Sir Alexander Roger, a director of the Midland Bank and a well-known British industrialist.

“Now is the time for all democratic countries to come together for a common purpose. Let us all cease trading with Germany,” Sir Roger declares. “Let the German ships arriving in democratic ports find that labor declines to handle their ships. Let all Germans in democratic countries be asked to apply for naturalization papers within 30 days or politely requested to leave the country.

“No violence is necessary — no blockade is necessary. Let such countries as approve of Germany’s policy and its consequences to them continue to trade with them. Merely let it be said that just as soon as Germany ceases to impose her domination on races other than German, just as soon as she agrees to disarmament, just as soon as she is willing to resume world trading on the basis of free instead of regimented economy, the commercial sit-down strike will cease.

“Compensation will require to be provided for the loss of business suffered by regular traders with Germany, but the cost to the country would be infinitesimal compared with the cost and horrors of war; any attempt to secure undue profit to be regarded as high treason. If I do not mistake the temper of the peoples comprising the Commonwealth of British Nations, they would readily accept a policy such as I outline. I am equally certain that no country in Europe, Africa, Asia, or the Americas wants to trade with Germany with political domination looming ominously in the near distance as a certain consequence.

“In Germany itself, behind the apparently magnificent facade of strength and unity, there are millions of peace-loving citizens who detest the policy of the red Radicals who control their Government. The truth of what their Government is doing is concealed from them, and the effect of their Government’s policy on world opinion is either unknown or their knowledge is distorted by lying propaganda. But nothing could conceal from the people of Germany the cataclysmic effect of the democratic countries ceasing to trade with her — and the fate of her rulers could safely be left to the German people.”